Arne Slot has five undroppables for Liverpool in strongest starting line-up

Arne Slot has five undroppables for Liverpool in strongest starting line-up

Latest Liverpool transfer news and gossip as Arne Slot continues his preparations for the Reds' Premier League title defence

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot (Image: Martin Rickett/PA Wire)

While the majority of the football world will be focusing on transfers, Arne Slot will be busy having his attention fixed on Liverpool's start to the new Premier League season. August 15 is when the Reds will kickstart their title defence at home to Bournemouth.

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Before then, though, Liverpool will have a friendly double-header against Athletic Club on Monday and then the Community Shield against Crystal Palace next weekend. The Reds have returned from a pre-season trip to the Far East, which will have given Slot plenty to work with ahead of the new campaign.

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As is the case with the majority of summers, the transfer window has dominated proceedings ever since Liverpool were confirmed as Premier League champions last term. In total there have been seven new additions to the Reds' squad this summer, and there is the potential for more to come.

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Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez, Giorgi Mamardashvili, Armin Pecsi and Freddie Woodman have all signed for Liverpool this summer. There is the potential for more signings to come in the weeks ahead, with the September 1 deadline just around the corner.

For the time being, though, Slot will be happy with the players at his disposal heading into the new campaign. Pre-season will give several members of the squad chances to impress the head coach, but Slot will know there are some players who are almost guaranteed to be regular starters.

One of the first names on the teamsheet is Virgil van Dijk. The Liverpool captain guided the Reds to the league title last season and is about to enter his eighth full season on Merseyside.

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After the departure of Jarell Quansah for Bayer Leverkusen, Van Dijk is now one of just three senior centre-backs at the club. Whether a new addition will be made to the squad remains to be seen, but Van Dijk's importance to the club is expected to remain.

Midfield is also where Liverpool can expect to see some stability going forward. Last season, what helped the Reds secure the Premier League title was the ability and availability of Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister.

Liverpool have not gone into the market for a defensive midfielder so far this summer, so Gravenberch and Mac Allister are likley to be the first-choice in a double pivot in the middle of the park. Curtis Jones, Wataru Endo and Dominik Szoboszlai could provide valuable competition for the duo, but Slot will likely have Gravenberch and Mac Allister as his first-choice midfield pair next term.

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Mohamed Salah is also expected to be a regular starter for Liverpool next season. Federico Chiesa made just 14 appearances for the Reds last term and has been heavily linked with a move away from Anfield this summer.

After putting pen to paper on a new two-year contract extension, Salah will be aiming to be one of the first names on the team sheet for yet another season.

Another player who could go on to be a regular starter for Liverpool this season is Wirtz. The Reds signed the playmaker from Bayer Leverkusen in a deal worth up to £116million, and for that kind of money, the 22-year-old will be expected to start a lot more often than not.

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Wirtz will be expected to play in a No.10 role for Liverpool, but is also capable of performing across the forward line when required. Wherever Wirtz plays, it would not be a surprise to see Slot get him in the starting line-up as often as he can next term.

Potential Liverpool starting line-up for 2025/26: Alisson; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk; Kerkez; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo; Ekitike

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